Who is your SOMEONE?
The words we hear every day when reaching out to bless others are “loved ones” or “family and friends.”
Yet, we can bless many people who are not close family or friends…
- Someone we don’t know well — a neighbor or a workmate;
- Those we may never meet — collecting winter coats for schools or baking brownies for funerals;
- Even a particularly difficult person — not loved, not a candidate for friendship; or
- A whole class of people — a local disaster might spur action that will bless far beyond our own circle of family and friends.
When we reach out beyond our own circles, we often start to label those we bless in ways that define them as a part of some group — a group that is “other, ” that is different from us. We slip into detached, impersonal euphemisms about “the poor” or “the needy” or “the suffering.”
Instead, I have chosen your someone as a more personal yet adaptable way to bring to mind almost anyone who might benefit from your thoughtful blessing.
Read the full blog here: Your Very Special Someone
Are we Helping or BLESSING?
When we notice someone in need, we often want to “help.” However, I propose we let go of the word “help” and use “bless,” instead.
You see, definitions of help center around being of assistance and providing resources. Offering a kindness doesn’t seem to be enough; there must be a benefit.
In contrast, bless, at its heart, is about intangibles that give life meaning, such as happiness and good. And, for those trying to build up the courage to reach out, there is no need to worry whether, in the end, your efforts will actually benefit or fix a situation.
Definitions of bless can include an aspect of holiness which may not relate to your situation. However, remarks such as that was a blessing or I was blessed are just as often non-religious in nature, expressing a simple awareness that something positive has happened — possibly something small, but it was unexpected and unearned.
With a little forethought about the blessings we might offer, we can build confidence in our ability to bless someone — and let go of the fear that we won’t be able to help.
Read the full blog here: Letting Go of “Helping”
Blessing Your Someone 